SWAMP GHOST IS HEADING HOME

[Shay]

Excellant news. I think its safe to say that more B-17's are being restored right now then at anytime over the past what, 40 years!

I hope she starts getting worked on as soon as she hits the shores. Rather than be put into long term storage like , I don't even know how many other Fortress's.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[bdk]

I hope she starts getting worked on as soon as she hits the shores. Rather than be put into long term storage like , I don't even know how many other Fortress's.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortress

If this still belongs to Tallichet, I don't think that is his M.O. It took twenty something years to get the Marauder in the air.

[DIK SHEPHERD]

Yeah, but the B-26s weren't a priority project with Dave after the first couple of years of their return.

And besides, parts for the B-26 were/are a lot harder to come by, as oppose to parts for a B-17.

[APG85]

I'm just glad it's not rotting away in that swamp - even if it goes into storage here in the states for awhile.................

[Shay]

Jungle Bob

Been a couple days since the big announcment I was wondering if you could give us a SITREP on the transporting of Swamp Ghost?

Also I was wondering if the paperwork issues with the Bendix turret Brownings had been resolved yet?

Thanks

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[frankspeaks]

Jungle Bob


Also I was wondering if the paperwork issues with the Bendix turret Brownings had been resolved yet?

Thanks

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

The guns would have to be replaced with fakes anyway...or at least dummy right side receivers as the BATF is kinda strange about that kind of thing...and its the right side receivers that have the serial numbers associating them with the airplane to begin with.

[Shay]

The guns would have to be replaced with fakes anyway...or at least dummy right side receivers as the BATF is kinda strange about that kind of thing...and its the right side receivers that have the serial numbers associating them with the airplane to begin with.

"Say Again Your Last" That sucks. Regardless still it would be nice to have the original equipment with one of the few remaining Bendix turrets (I have no idea how many there are).

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[frankspeaks]

This one is the only bendix turret I know of or have even ever heard of actually existing.

Kinda strange about the .50's... used to be you could buy a parts set for 400 bucks. now days they are getting kinda scarce and the price has gone to about 4000 dollars for a good clean parts set minus right side receiver.

Dummy receivers can not be made to fire and cost about 100 bucks.

The right side receiver is the part that has to be registered with BATF as a machine gun.

[Matt Gunsch]

There are 2 bendix turrets that are known. The B-25 that was just pulled from the lake has one, and Swamp Ghost. kind of interesting that there were no known examples until this year, and there are now 2 that have been recovered

[airnutz]

There are 2 bendix turrets that are known. The B-25 that was just pulled from the lake has one, and Swamp Ghost. kind of interesting that there were no known examples until this year, and there are now 2 that have been recovered

Forget the Monino Mitchell?...2 cases of my best Moscow vodka for
full walkaround/through shots and a good snap of the data-plate!

Last edited by airnutz on Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Originalboxcar]

Forgive a dumb question, but does SG has a Bendix turret in the top forward position as well as the belly turret. It was my understanding that the first 500 or so E's had that configuration.

Can anyone explain the switch to Sperry units?

regards,

t~

[ZeamerB17]

The only dumb question is the one not asked.
SG would have the usual B-17 top turret. The Bendix belly turret was pretty much useless. The gunner laid on his stomach facing aft and sighted the 2 .50s thru a series of angled mirrors fitted to a periscope-like device housed in a clear bubble a few feet aft of the turret. This sucked mightily so they went to the Sperry from the 113rd production B-17E onwards.

Cheers,
Dave

[Randy Haskin]

The guns would have to be replaced with fakes anyway...or at least dummy right side receivers as the BATF is kinda strange about that kind of thing...and its the right side receivers that have the serial numbers associating them with the airplane to begin with.

Why don't the owners of the airplane work with local government and law enforcement to get permission to own several Title 2 firearms??

I've never understood this...it's not that difficult to own a machine gun (it is just expensive to purchase in the first place), there are just many hoops to jump through with local law enforcement where the guns will be "stationed". Unlike popular belief, there is not a special "license" required to own machine guns.

Of course, your mileage may vary if you're in a non-freedom loving state like Mass, New York, or Illinois, but I imagine that if the reason you're applying for the tax stamp for the guns is for the historical significance of an aircraft...well, that will open some different doors.

[RickH]

You are absolutely right, Randy. $200.00 non transferrable tax stamp for each Class 3 weapon. It aint that big a deal.

[Randy Haskin]

You are absolutely right, Randy. $200.00 non transferrable tax stamp for each Class 3 weapon. It aint that big a deal.

In the grand scheme, when you're talking about a somewhat historically significant aircraft, and the opportunity to maintain the original weapons with that aircraft, I think that the tax stamp fee (annually) is chump change compared to operating cost, maintenance cost, restoration cost, etc.